Shooting star
by DeGuddi
Summary: Draco knew exactly why he had to come here, he knew that his parents came here to find a fine pureblood witch for him to marry. All the single ladies knew that too. Draco expected that none of them would be interested in marring a former death eater and close follower to Voldemort…be he thought wrong. They just were vultures, waiting for a change to dance with him. Oneshot


What was he doing here? No, really, what was he doing here, all fancy dressed at this mid-summer-feast pretending that nothing happened. No war, just a silly dinner with some of the pureblood families.

Draco knew exactly why he had to come here, he knew that his parents came here to find a fine pureblood witch for him to marry. All the single ladies knew that too. Draco expected that none of them would be interested in marring a former death eater and close follower to Voldemort…be he thought wrong. They just were vultures, waiting for a change to dance with him.

Him, Draco Malfoy, nineteen years old and lawyer in training. So what was he doing here, next week he had some exams and he should be studying for them.

Draco sighted and once again rejected Pansy Parkinson, who asked him to dance for the 100th time, saying that he needed fresh air. He stepped out on the marble terrace of the big white estate and enjoyed the view over the garden. The Greengrass Manor was smaller than his home but he still liked it, it was brighter because of the big windows, light colors and the south side but what were very exceptional were the gardens. The terrace ended in huge stairs which led to a cobble stone path, surrounded by grass and that divided into 3 ways. One of it led into a maze, hedge and white roses. Draco decided to take a walk, it was summer, the night sky was clear. Trying not to forget where he came from, Draco made his and suddenly heard a voice.

"Damn it those shoes are killing me"

Draco turned right and entered small clearance, with a stone bench and small pond next to it. A girl, around seventeen he guessed, in a lime green dress, was sitting on the bench and was slowly dipping her feet into the clear water of the pond. Her high heels carelessly lying next to the bench. He heard a relieved sight from her and Draco couldn't hide a chuckle, even though he was not sure why he was amused. The girl turned around in surprise and almost fell off the bench.

"Oh excuse me" she said and blushed in embarrassment.

Draco looked at her. She had a gentle face and slightly rosy cheeks, honey blonde hair in a half up do, single locks were framing her face.

"No, excuse me" Draco said, reminding himself of the manners his mother has told him.

"I should be leaving" He added and turned around to do so.

"Wait…" the girl said "I mean you don't have to…I mean there is space for both of us… I mean I would not mind some company"

Draco smiled slightly but sat down on the other bench at the pond, opposite of the girl, he looked again to the heeled shoes.

"Is it hard to walk in them?"

"Terrible" the girl said and lifted her feet out of the pond "It´s like walking on broken glass"

She sighted "Um…may I ask why you are here? I mean why not at the party enjoying yourself?

"I could ask you the same"

"I´m tired "she sighted "I´m hardly out of school and my parents are already searching for a husband for me so I have to look like a porcelain doll, all lady like and dance with every single man for the last three hours"

Draco raised an eyebrow. This girl was so bubbly. She had reminded him of someone at first…but now. She was so open towards him. Not many people he knew where and the once who were…well they weren´t there anymore. The war… but this girl was different; she had an aura of serenity around her almost like an angel. Has she been in Hogwarts? Most of the families were from Slytherin. He didn´t noticed her being in his house but then again, Draco never had shown interest in the other members of his house besides the one´s in his year.

"Don´t you think?" she asked and Draco realized that he didn´t quite listen

"Sorry what?"

The girl sighted "Oh nothing important…well you seem a bit worried…do you want to talk about it"

Draco corrected his thought. She was no angel, she was far too nosy and naïve for that.

"Well what do think? I´d tell you?"

She smiled and it was like a ray of sunshine in the night "I´ve made the experience that talking helps, well you and I are basically strangers. I can´t judge you or talk about you with others so your information is safe with me. You may or may not think that it is a naïve way of thinking but I´m sure that it helps"

Draco stayed silent. He looked into the darkness of the pond.

"Let me guess" The girl tilted her head and was looking at him, intensely. Draco just realized that she had light green eyes. He remembered them from somewhere. "You´re not quite happy that you're here…in fact your bored at this party, because you have better things to do and you feel uncomfortable and your bothered because of you past….and I assume that your parents too want you to get married….and you don´t"

"How-?"

"How I know?" she interrupted "Well its summer, but you are wearing long sleeves under your dress robe….you are hiding you´re dark mark…aren't you…and you´re not wearing a ring…and I saw how you were surrounded by a bunch of girls inside….don't think that I´m a stalker( she blushed). I just observe people very closely. It´s an old habit…I guess I was so shy as a child that I adopted these traits….Well I have an advise for you… how about you search the night sky for a shooting start and make a wish…maybe it´ll come true"

"You believe in such things?" Draco asked. He did not, not after all what happened.

"Yes, I do" the girl said sincere and looked smiling into the sky "I mean some muggles also believe in magic and that does exist"

She paused "There is so much you can learn from the stars. Look, there is the constellation of the dog with Sirius the brightest star, the Lyra…the swan…Virgo… Corona Borealis. I had an O in Astrology in my N.E.W.T.S"

" I see that" Draco grinned slightly "I never been good at that…tell me…that about this lines of stars what is this? What do you learn from those?"

"This is the Draco, the dragon…it is said that Zeus gave his wife Hera a tree with golden apples as a wedding gift. Those apples were very dear to her so that she ordered the Hesperidia, daughters of the titan Atlas, to take care of them. They were unreliable so that Hera also ordered a dragon to protect the tree. Hercules, a hero in that time killed the dragon. He had the task to steal away the apples. The dragon was put in the night sky by Hera, as a thank you…the dragon is a protector."

Her eyes were glowing as she told Draco the story "Great" he said ironic and grinned.

"Now you´re making fun of me!" the girls said

"Sorry but you were being so serious about the story"

"I must be interested in the stars…after all it´s my name"

"Star?" Draco asked, he just realized that they hadn´t introduced eachother.

"No" she smiled and shook her head "it derives from the Greek word Astraea, which means star maiden… my name is Astoria….Astoria Greengrass"

"Astoria" Draco repeated and it hit him. She was Daphne´s little sister. The shy and nice Slytherin, who was often bullied by elder boys. The grey mouse. The one who was friendly to everyone and had a lot of friends in other houses. She had always helped Madame Pomfrey with injuries after Quidditch matches and never was involved in any fights, or the dark arts.

They heard a loud bang as a bell rang for midnight.

"Damn it" Astoria unladylike fetched her shoes, put them on and straightened her dress.

"Mum wanted me back inside an hour ago! Sorry…and um….bye!"

She hurried away. Draco smiled as she disappeared and looked up the night sky, at the constellation he was named after. The protector. He was not sure if it really happened but he saw a fast small flash of white light….. Astoria Greengrass…. Maybe he should start believing in shooting stars.

**My thought on how Astoria and Draco met :3**

**I kind of liked the idea of Astoria being the light in the darkness for Draco and that they met not because it was arranged. Hope you like it if you did leave a review…if not…well leave a review too **


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